The 20th century toolsmith and steelworker; a complete, practical, and scientific book

Preface

This book is written in the interests of all. mechanics connected with the working and manufacture of steel into tools, and gives all the secrets and obstacles to be overcome towards making steelwork or toolmaking a success. It will be invaluable to the young mechanic and place him years in advance of his fellow workman, by the reading and a little reflection of its contents.

It is not comprised of quack theories or foolish ideas, and is not written by a college student, who knows nothirrg except what he has been told or gathered up from papers and periodicals. But is written by a thorough expert mechanic who has spent the best part of his life over the anvil with the hammer and tongs and making tools of every description, from steel of every quality and temper and almost every brand or make, and the contents of this book are the results of hard work, deep study, years of experimenting and wide travel. The information given is of a simple, practical, and scientific nature, which can be easily understood and everything accomplished by a mechanic of average intelligence.

It gives full and complete instructions with illustra-

4 PREFACE

tions, how to forge, weld, anneal, harden and temper, every tool that the toolsmith or toolmaker is called upon to make or repair, and if the directions are followed closely, this book will be the means of lifting a great many out of a rut of darkness and place them on the road of sunshine to mechanical success, as this information could not be gained in a lifetime in the ordinary blacksmith shop or from the steel manufacturer.

Contents

Introduction o Pages 11 to 14

Chapter I

Steel, its use and necessity in all arts, trades and professions — The composition of cast tool steel — The successful treatment of steel — Heating — Forging — Hammering — Hardening — The hardening bath — Quenching — Tempering — Welding — Annealing — Different kinds of steel — The cracking of tools when hardening and the cause — How to judge hard from soft steel — How to tell good from poor steel — Testing steel after hardening, with a file — Instructions on

toolmaking that have to be given many times

Chapter II

The blaeksmith^s fire — Bellows and blowers — The anvil — Tongs — Fullers and swages — Flatters and set hammer — The hammer — Making and dressing a hand hammer — Haraening and tempering a hammer — Successful points to be remembered in making and tempering a hammer — Punching holes in steel . Pages 32 to 55

Chapter III

The cold chisel — The hardy — Heavy hot, cold and railroad chisels — Drills and drilling — Making a flat drill — Hand made twist drills — Making a twist reamer. .

CONTENTS

Chapter IV

How to draw out, harden and temper an axe that will cleave a hemlock knot — Mill picks — Butcher knives — How to make gun, revolver, trap and all fine springs — ^Dirt picks — Laying dirt picks Pages 73 to 89

Chapter V

Machinists tools — Air hardening steel for lathe and planer tools — How to anneal air hardening steel — Milling cutters — The use of asbestos and clay when hardening milling cutters and other tools — Hardening hollow tools — The hardening and tempering of hob taps, stay bolt taps ana similar tools — Heating furnaces — Heated lead for hardening purposes — Boilermakers' tools — The beading tool — Punches and dies • — Flue expanders — Drifts, rivet snaps, calking tools and chisels — Hardening shear blades. . . .Pages 90 to 115

Chapter VI

Woodworkers' and carpenters' tools — Laying a carpenter's chisel — The screw driver — How to make a draw knife Pages 116 to 121

CHAPTER VIL

Granite cutters' tools — The granite drill — Bull sets and bull chisels — The granite bush hammer — The granite hammer — Granite cutters' mash hammer — The granite tool sharpeners' hammer and anvil stake — Marble cutters' tools Pages 122 to 130

CONTENTS 7

Chapter VIII

Limestone cutters' tools — Plain and tooth chisels and points — Pitching- tool — Hand and ball drills — The tooth axe — The limestone bush hammer — Sandstone cutters' tools — Stone carvers' tools — Polishing board for stonecutters' tools — How to forge mallet head tools — Punching teeth in stone cutters' tools — Lathe . and planer tools for cutting soft stone — Dressing tools with the cutting edge bevelled from one side only Pages 131 to 145

Chapter IX

The stonemason's hammer — Miners' tools — Correct and incorrect shapes of miners' hand drills — The cross or machine drill — The K^reaking of drills when drilling and the cause — The rock cuttiug reamer — Well drills

Chapter X

Horseshoer's tools — How to make and dress a pair of pincers — Making a clinch cutter — How to make a horseshoer's knife — How to dress a vise — Sharpening plow shares — How to make square holes in plow shares Page 154 to 162

CHAPTER XL

How to make a harnessmaker's knife — How to make a butcher's steel — Hardening tools with five projections — The butcher's cleaver — How to dress a railroad

pinch bar — The spike maul — The claw bar

CONTENTS

Chapter XII

The bricklayer's set — How to harden and temper wire nippers or pliers — How to make a razor — To make . a scraper — Hardening jaw of pipe vise — Hardening and tempering blacksmith's bolt clipper — Tools for punching or gumming cross-cut saws — The scratchawl — Hardening and tempering circular blades of pipe cutter — Hardening a tool according to its shape — Making, hardening and tempering an alligator pipe wrench — Hardening and tempering pruning shear blades — The center punch — The nail, set — Hardening and tempering steel stamps — Making a gouge — Hardening and tempering carpenters' augurs that have come through a fire — Case hardening. ,

CHAPTER XIIL

The correct meaning of a cherry red heat — Heating to harden according to the size of the tool — Charcoal for heating steel — The sealing of steel after hardening — Quality and quantity — Quick methods of working — Cracks in steel — Slighting tools — The result of being a successful steelworker — Hardening tools that are forged by another mechanic — Sayings and ideas of mechanics in reference to steel — Why some tools are soft when put into use — Reasons why tools break when in use — Necessary tools — Welding compounds — Hardening compounds — How to determine the temper of tools — Overheating tools — Cutting steel when cold — Oil tempering — Drawing the temper over the open or blacksmith's fire — More points on hammering steel — How to improve — The blacksmith's helper — The danger of heating more of a tool when dressing, than what is to be forged or hammered — Hardening very small or thin tools — More information about

CONTENTS 9

cold chisels — The different degrees of temperature Fahrenheit required to equal the various colors when drawing the temper in hot air or oil — Table of ordinary tools made from cast steel, arranged alphabetically, giving the color of temper and about the percentage of carbon the steel should contain to give the best results — Table of tools continued, which are partly or wholly hardened but have no temper drawn — Working steel at night — A few words in reference to burnt steel — Conclusion Pages 188 to 229

Useful Formulas Pages 230 to 240

Introduction

In introducing this book to my readers and brother mechanics, it has long been my aim to bring this volume of information before the steehvorkers and toolmakers in general and to present it in a clear simple way that the average mechanic will quite readily understand. Although there are other books written and published on this great subject of steelworking, the information which they contain is not expressed in a clear light that is beneficial to the ordinary reader, for unless the reader is already an expert steelworker the book is not easily understood without a great deal of thought and study, as some authors oppose their own ideas, others again do not take up the entire subject and the information which is most profitable to the young mechanic and also which is most impressive on his mind is left unwritten.

But this book which is entitled, The 20th Century Toolsmith and Steelworker, will give fully all the information and knowledge of working steel in a clear light so that the young mechanic or apprentice will readily improve, if he will but read. The methods given and used as regards the working of steel, are of the most modern, simple, practical, and scientific nature,

12 INTRODUCTION

while the instructions are from the experience of a successful steelworker of good reputation, and who has spent years in hard work, ranging in extent from the humble country blacksmith shop to the largest and best railroad, locomotive and machine shops, also stone yards, quarries and mines of North America, which is the only correct way of gathering together the vast amount of knowledge contained in these pages and which has cost the author thousands of dollars in wide travel and collecting valuable ideas from some of the greatest living mechanics and steelworkers that America has produced.

Although this book is chiefly intended for blacksmiths, toolsmiths and tooldressers, it will be found invaluable to every mechanic connected directly or indirectly with the repair and manufacture of steel into tools, and if the directions are followed closely, the amateur steelworker will become an expert of the highest degree, as there is nothing mentioned, but that which has been accomplished by the author and proven by experiment to be the greatest success.

This book is not merely written for the young mechanic or apprentice, but likewise for the old, and it does not signify if the reader has worked over the anvil for forty years, there is information that will help him overcome difficulties and obstacles connected with steel.

Although the instructions given are principally in reference to heating steel in the blacksmiths or open fire and which is mostly used, this book gives informa-

INTRODUCTION 13

tion concerning heating and tempering furnaces. But, it should be remembered that if a mechanic can work steel by heating it successfully in the open fire, he will experience very little trouble when heating steel in a furnace or lead bath as used in large and up-to-date toolshops and factories.

I wish to say to all mechanics young and old but more so to the young mechanics who have a desire to reach the top of the ladder and gain a good reputation, and especially to those who chance to get a copy of this book, that the greatest obstacle they have to contend with when trying to improve, is to change from the rut they have already fallen into, chiefly made by themselves and the teachings of their first masters. I state this from experience, and to illustrate fully after I knew my trade (or ''served my time," is a' more reasonable way of explaining), having plenty of confidence and a great share jof conceit in my abilities, I started out as a journeyman blacksmith, ''and then" I found out I had something to learn. But I found out that to change my ways and ideas was quite a difficult task and often got me in hot water, as I thought my way or rather the way I was taught by my first boss was correct. However, I soon decided that if I wanted to climb to the top of mechanical success and have a good reputation, I would have to change my ideas if I thought some other shop mate had an idea or method that was superior to mine, keep my eyes open, and do a great deal of thinking in my "own" mind.

W INTRODUCTION

And if I could have had this book at th© close of my apprenticeship, it would have saved me many a troublesome job, many a long hour of study, a great deal of experimenting, large sums of money and placed me years in advance of the present times. And so I wish to say to the reader, although he may have some good ideas that perhaps are equal to the author's, while on the other hand he may have some not as good, read this book carefully from beginning to end, and follow its advice and he will be crowned with success, as a poor mechanic or Jack of all trades is not wanted in these days, where there is as much competition for the mechanic's job as there is between business men in any mercantile business. And again, I say to the mechanic read this book carefully, follow the instructions closely, and you will hold your job and take first place.

Chapter I

Steel, its use and necessity — Composition — Successful treatment — Different kinds — The cracking of steel when hardening and the cause — Judging and testing.

Steel, Its Use and Necessity in All Arts, Trades and Professions.

We could get along without a great many other materials and metals, ' ' but we must have steel, ' ' its great necessity comes first in all arts, trades, and professions. The doctor or surgeon must have fine lancing knives, the dentist must have forceps, and the sculptor must have fine chisels. The machinist, boilermaker, stonecutter, bricklayer and the stone mason, must have their tools made from steel in order to perform their skillful labor, likewise, the king and foundation of all mechanics, ' ' The Blacksmith, ' ' he must in the first place have the anvil, hammers, chisels, fullers, swages, etc., to do his own work and make tools for others.

Our Capitols, government buildings, palaces, cathedrals, the great railroad systems, likewise the defense of our country, the navy and its guns, are all brought to the stage of perfection, by the use of steel and so we can readily see that steel comes first and_ foremost of all metals, and the mechanic who is so fortunate as to become a good steelworker, is entitled to all konor and should be proud of his skill.

The Composition of Cast Tool Steel.

In order to understand this subject fully, it is necessary to know something pertaining to the manufacture. But in a simple way of explaining, cast tool steel is chiefly composed of bar or wrought iron, although wrought iron is a very useful metal, it is of too soft a nature in its natural state for the purpose of tool making. Consequently iron is put through a process by the steel manufacturer, and by the use of charcoal the iron becomes carbonized and so converted into steel.

A great deal could be written on the manufacture of cast tool steel, as the steel, after being manufactured may be of good or bad quality and also being of different degrees of hardness or temper. The quality of the steel depends on the quality of iron used in the manufacture, while the hardness of the steel depends on the amount of carbon it contains. The temper of steel is classed or measured by the percentage of carbon in the steel, for example 100 points is equal to 1 per cent, to further explain, steel that is right for making cold chisels will consist of 75 points carbon, while steel used for machinists' lathe or turning tools which is required to be much harder will consist of 1 per cent.

Good cast steel should be manufactured from pure Swedish iron and should contain not less than 60 points carbon in order that it will readily become (after passing through the various processes of the steelworker) hard as glass, tough as whalebone and as soft as lead. When toolmaking, a good quality of steel should always be used, but as to hardness, it will depend on how the tool is to be used and what material the tool is to cut or be used upon, also a great deal will depend on the skill of the steelworker.

The Successful Treatment of Steel.

In the successful treatment of steel lies the foundation of this book and the toolsmith's art, and with which all the following processes that the steel must pass through before reaching the finished tool are connected. Thus: heating, forging, hammering, hardening, quenching, tempering, welding and annealing. These processes all form an equally important part in the manufacture of tools, and so to become an expert steelworker this subject must be understood by having a thorough knowledge regarding the nature of steel, together with good judgment, carefulness and skill.

Heating.

There are a great many different ways of heating steel, although the most common way is in the blacksmith's coal or open fire, but in the large shops w^heie tools are made in great quantities may be found furnaces especially adapted for tool making which are heated by oil, gas, etc.

The heating of steel is somewhat complicated owing to the different temperatures that are required (reader, give this your particular attentipn as success depends on the following), heating may be divided into four classes, as the forging heat, the hardening heat, the annealing heat and the welding heat. But for the benefit of the apprentice, I will say the different heats must be learnt by experimenting, but to the blacksmith of more or less experience, I will describe the heats of a piece of ordinary steel 75 points in carbon (which will answer all ordinary purposes), in the following manner, a yellow heat for forging, cherry red for hardening, blood red for annealing, and a white heat for welding.

Forging.

Forging is the toolsmith's labor which is required to bring or change a piece of steel into any shape or form, by referring to the forging heat, it is at all times necessary and beneficial to have a yellow or soft heat, then the steel will be worked clear through, and especially in heavy forging, but the heat must gradually decrease as the tool becomes finished. For example, supposing the toolsmith has a piece of steel one inch square and it is to be forged down to a chisel shaped point, it is heated slowly and evenly to a high or yellow heat, the toolsmith and helper forges it into the shape required until it is necessary to get another heat, but the second heat will not necessarily be so hot as it will be sufficient to finish the tool and- the hardest work is over, when the steel is finished at a low heat and the last blows of the hammer fall on the flat side. The steel is left finer and stronger than if finished at a high heat.

Hammering.

Hammering steel in the finishing stage is one of the greatest secrets of success connected with forging tools, it is at all times necessary as it toughens, refines and packs the steel, but it is chiefly for tools that have a flat surface. On tools that have no flat surface but are either round or square, the blows must naturally fall on all sides alike, consequently the steel is left in its natural state. But tools that are flat, such as cold chisels or mill picks, the last blows say 10 or 15, must fall on both flat sides evenly when at a low heat, but bear in mind that not a blow is to strike the edge as it will knock out all the tenacity that has been put in the steel by the blovv^s on the flat surface, and do not hammer the steel too cold as it will ruin the steel. If the hammering is properly done the steel will show a bright black gloss.

Hardening.

The process for hardening is by heating the steel to a certain heat then cooling off sudidenly in water, which will immediately change the steel from its soft natural state, into that of a hard glasslike state and will show a white appearance when coming out of the water. But after coming through this operation the steel may be properly or improperly hardened, steel that is properly hardened is flner and stronger than improperly hardened steel, and if broken would present a flne crystaiized fracture, while on the other hand, improperly hardened steel when broken would present a coarse fracture resembling a piece of honeycomb and will break very easy. The secret of success for proper hardening lies in the heat that is used, the proper heat must be found out by experimenting. A good way to find out the proper heat, will be, take a small piece of steel and on one end put deep nicks in it with a chisel, about half an inch apart, say, for three inches back, as shown in Figure 1. Now place the end that has th« nicks, in the fire and heat the extreme point to a white or welding heat, then plunge into cold water and cool off "dead cold." Now place over the anvil, commencing at the extreme point that was the hottest and break off at the first nick, then the next and so on until all is broken, and the results will be as formerly explained. The first piece when broken will show a coarse, hard and very brittle fracture being very easy to break, and as the other pieces are broken the fracture will be noticed to be getting finer and harder to break until the mnm

Fig. 1. Showing piece of steel for hardening test.

one is come to showing a fine crystallized fracture resembling a piece of glass. Another way to find out the proper heat for hardening will be to have 3 or 4 thin flat pieces of steel, heat them to different heats then break off taking particular notice of the fracture, and how some pieces will break much easier than others.

When hardening steel, always bear in mind to harden it at as low a heat as it will be sure to harden at, as proper hardening is the gateway of success in making tools that have to hold a good cutting edge.

The Hardening Bath.

In connection with the hardening of steel the hardening bath forms a very important part and which should not be overlooked. It consists chiefly of water, which must be clean and free from all oily or greasy substance. "Water containing any greasy substance of any kind will not act so quickly or as satisfactory as clear, clean water. Rain or soft water is preferred to hard well water, but salt put in the water to form a brine is still better, as steel will harden at a lower heat in brine than in the ordinary pure water and this is a point to be well considered, so keep as much salt in the water as it will dissolve or soak up. Still another advantage by the use of brine is that it will not steam up so quickly as water and this is also worthy of thought when hardening large tools. At all times keep the bath as large and as cold as possible.

Quenching.

In the quenching or cooling of steel during the hardening process, a great deal is to be learned, as sometimes the tool is liable to warp when being quenched, in some cases so bad as to spoil or crack the tool, while the cause will occur from improper quenching, as a great deal depends according to the way the tool is placed in the water or hardening bath, and also according to the shape of the tool.

Some tools must cut the water as a knife, others again must thrust it as a dagger, and some at one angle, some at another. For example, take a round piece of steel 6 inches long and % thick, and it is to be hardened the whole length of itself. After heating, it will have to be lowered into the bath from a perfectly upright position, if it has been properly forged, heated, and annealed, it will come from the water perfectly straight, but should it be placed in the water from an angular position it will be very apt to warp. Wide flat tools, whether partly or wholly hardened should be quenched in a perfectly upright position or they will warp flatwise.

Tempering'.

After hardening the steel it will be too hard for some purposes, and so the hardness must be reduced by reheating it to a certain degree according to the work it is to do, which is ^^ termed" tempering. If a piece of hardened steel be polished bright, then reheated, different colors will appear and change as the steel becomes heated to a greater degree. The colors will appear in their turn as follows, commencing with the least degree of heat will be a light straw, dark straw, copper, red, purple, dark blue, light blue and grey, and by watching the colors the steelworker regulates the temper or hardness of the tool.

Tempering is the process that will readily change steel from its hardened glass like state into an elastic springy nature resembling whalebone. For illustration, take a thin piece of steel 3 inches long, % inch wide, 1-16 thick, after hardening the whole piece from end to end then tempering to a very light blue and allowing it to cool off on its own accord, it will be found to be in a very elastic state and if bent it would immediately come back straight again. Tempering should not be classed as hardening or vice versa, as is often the case with a great many mechanics. For example, a tool that is to be only hardened and no temper drawn, should be classed as hardened, ''and not tempered. ' '

Welding.

Welding is the process or art of joining two pieces of steel together so as to form one solid piece, and which forms a very important part in steel working or toolmaking. There are several errors made when welding steel, some of the most common ones being, the want of the proper knovvdedge concerning the nature of steel, a green or unclean fire containing sulphur and other foreign matter, which is dangerous to hot steel, the absence of the proper welding heat, and improper ways of uniting the pieces together. For the benefit of those who have not had much practice and those who have only been partly successful, I will give these instructions, which, if followed closely will insure success. First of all the welding point in the steel that is to be welded must be known, as there are several kinds of steel, some will require a higher heat to weld than others, the heat varying according to the hardness of the steel.

For illustration, we make a weld by uniting two pieces of steel together and we have had good success, as the weld represents one solid piece. Now we proceed to make another weld, and in exactly the same way as the first weld, the same welding heat is used and the same fire, but this time we do not meet with success for as soon as the hot steel is struck with the hammer, to form the weld, the steel flies to pieces (I hear the reader ask the reason, why), because the steel was heated to a higher heat than what the steel would stand, and the consequence is, all the labor has been lost, the fault lies in not knowing the welding point.

We could take wrought iron and make every weld at the same heat, but not so with steel, on account of it varying in hardness. And so in cases when the mechanic is in doubt as to the hardness or welding point in the steel, use this rule. Take a piece of the steel that is to be welded, heat it to a yellow heat, then place~it over the edge of the anvil and strike it a light blow with the hammer, if the steel does not crumble or fall to pieces, keep increasing the heat until it does, this will enable anyone to test the steel for hardness, and so find the welding point or just how high a heat the steel will stand before crumbling or flying to pieces when making a weld.

But although the welding heat is well understood, there are other things to consider, as we must have a clean fire with the coal well charred and all gas, sulphur, clinkers, ashes, etc., must be taken from the fire, to insure a solid weld. Welding is more fully explained in another chapter of the book, as, in dirt picks.

Annealing.

The chief object of annealing steel is to soften it, the process being almost opposite to that of hardening. In hardening, the steel is cooled off very quickly, but in annealing, the steel is cooled very slowly. Steel to anneal must be heated in somewhat the same manner as to harden, with the exception that the annealing heat must not exceed the proper hardening heat, a little less heat will be best, for example a blood red.

The advantage to be gained by annealing steel is to make it soft, in order that it may be easily filed, turned, or planed. Without annealing some steel will be too hard for the machinist's use, tools that are forged by the toolsmith and finished by a machinist should always be annealed, and in a great many cases the steel must be annealed when it comes from the manufacturer, before it can be worked satisfactorily.

There are many ways to anneal, but the method that is commonly used, is by taking a piece of steel heated to the heat previously mentioned, and packed deep into slack lime allowing it to remain there until perfectly cold. Wood ashes may be used in place of slack lime, but they should be perfectly dry and free from all dampness. Fine dry sawdust is also very good, but it should be kept in an iron box in case the sawdust catches fire.